As if the year weren’t hard enough already, the Center on Colfax finds itself adapting to significant loss in funding moving into Denver Pride festivities. Though not alone in its funding struggles, Denver’s LGBTQ+ community center faces an uphill battle.
With the Trump Administration’s reckless economic policies, lawless governance, and attacks on civil rights, the only real question was a matter of when the dominos would fall. The Center’s communication manager, Ashley Schoenbauer, says the organization projected a sponsorship shortfall of $230,000 back in April.
Attacks on “woke culture” and Trump’s hostility towards diversity, equity and inclusion have seen corporations like Amazon, Target, Walmart and countless others opt to protect shareholder capital, rather than risk the administration’s wrath. The cuts aren’t isolated to the LGBTQ+ organizations either, with medical research, environmental groups, and cultural centers feeling the effects of the funding drought and looking for other options.
While the loss of donations from billion dollar corporations causes hardship, economic strife is another factor to consider. Budgetary concerns and purse tightening have caused a reduction in the size of donations from sponsors, Schoenbauer says, and some have had to withdraw entirely due to their own funding struggles.
There is a sense of optimism in Schoenbrauer’s comments, praising the work of her colleagues and Denver’s community for staying engaged and finding new sponsors to help bridge the gap for Pride this year.
“While the exact numbers are still in flux, we’re encouraged by the progress made,” she says. “We’re grateful for the support of the Denver community and its willingness to support The Center during this time.”
Since the first pride event in 1974, Denver’s Pride festival has grown to bring in an estimated half million people to party and celebrate the rights of all trans and queer folk to live openly and honestly as their best selves. The free festival also acts as one of The Center’s biggest fundraising events, crucial for keeping their services and programming accessible to anyone in need throughout the community.
“Eighty-three percent of all contributions to The Center are directed back to our community through the vital programming we offer year-round to our LGBTQ+ community free-of-charge,” says interim CEO Natalie Zanoni. “The decrease in funding we’re experiencing puts these critical services at risk.”
Zanoni expressed disappointment at the decisions to decrease funding or withdraw sponsorship from Pride altogether, but emphasized that there was little return in calling the organizations out by name.
“We don’t feel (it would) be beneficial to our goal to call in and educate people on the importance of our work here at The Center,” Zanoni says. “We also recognize that these decisions do not reflect the views and opinions of everyone within those organizations.”
With future federal dollars unlikely under the current regime, supporting the work of The Center on Colfax and other LBGBTQ+ organizations, like One Colorado and Rocky Mountain Equality, will fall more and more to the community. The best first step is getting out to celebrate each other, to volunteer and to build a better community.
Visit Denver Pride on June 28-29 in Civic Center Park. For more information, visit denverpride.org or lgbtqcolorado.org.
Photos courtesy social media
